Hello, It’s time to dig into cross-references again, picking up where I left off two weeks ago. If you missed that first reflection, you can read it here. I had a lot more to write than I initially thought about how I use, or don’t use, cross-references, which is why I have split these reflections into two posts. Cross-references are a versatile tool for redirecting readers around the index. They highlight that beyond alphabetical sort, which imposes a default structure, the structure of the...
17 days ago • 4 min read
Hello, Welcome back to another Q&A on this last Tuesday of the month! The original query I received referenced a specific project I had mentioned—I think a larger book and index that I had written for an Oxford University Press title—but I don’t know for certain which project. So I am going to rephrase the question. I hope I still manage to answer the original question. How long does it take you to index larger books? Oxbridge generally doesn’t allot enough time for me to complete their...
24 days ago • 6 min read
Hello, Some time ago a client asked me how I decide when to use cross-references and why certain arrays have cross-references and not others. Which is a good question. I decided to sit down and outline all of the different scenarios in which I use—or don’t use—cross-references, and, well, the list is a lot longer than I expected. So, I’m going to split this reflection in half. Part two to come in a couple of weeks. As a very brief introduction, cross-references are like signposts that...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Hello, I’m currently indexing a history of nuclear reactors. It is about 300,000 words. Meticulously researched and written, with a strong narrative. It is a big book, and it is taking a while to get through. It is also not the only large volume I’ve indexed this year. I feel like I’ve done more than usual, including an Oxford handbook on Baptist studies, an edited collection on Black Canadian art and literature, and a biography of Canadian poet Margaret Avison. These are books that are the...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Hello, Welcome back to another Q&A, on the last Tuesday of the month. How are we already at the end of April? Today’s question is about granularity: How should I judge what level of granular information the reader will be looking for? Too many subheadings with the same locator is a red flag. Is there any other good marker? How do I know if it is too granular, or not granular enough? That is an excellent question. Thank you for asking. I suspect this is a common issue that many indexers face....
about 2 months ago • 7 min read
Hello, I’ve written before about subheadings, most recently here and here. And I’ve been reflecting on them again. Subheadings are a crucial tool for breaking down large discussions and for differentiating nuances. More can definitely be written, looking at different contexts and scenarios. Recently, I’ve been thinking about how subheadings can sometimes be repeated and reused throughout an index. This can be valuable to readers, to signal that the same discussion reappears in different...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Hello, A couple of weeks ago I wrote about corralling variants. That reflection dealt with names, of people and organizations. Names can vary, whether through the use of nicknames or shortened versions or through formal name changes. When writing an index, it is important to identify those variants and to somehow bring them together in the index. Someone replied to that reflection and brought up the important and related issue of synonymous and similar terms. Thank you for your email!...
2 months ago • 4 min read
Hello, Welcome back to another Q&A on this last Tuesday of the month. I appreciate seeing what interests you, so thank you for your questions and please continue to ask. Today’s question is: A couple of times you referred to a mind map. Creating and using a mind map is a topic I'd benefit from your addressing in a future newsletter, if possible. Certainly. I’m happy to discuss mind maps. In the context of indexing, I think creating a mind map is about taking a step back and seeing the index...
3 months ago • 4 min read
Hello, Today’s reflection is going to get nerdy. I am also sorry to be running a day late. This one took a while to write. I recently finished indexing an Oxford handbook, which was the first Oxford handbook I’ve ever indexed. Definitely a challenge, particularly in regards to length—forty-five chapters, or about the equivalent of three or four regular-length edited collections. The time needed to draft and edit an index seems to grow exponentially the longer and more complicated the book....
3 months ago • 6 min read